So I did reiki at the cancer center yesterday. There were typical sessions all morning: the recipients reported relief of pain and stress and an increase in happiness. I had a student working with me. She is a nurse. She placed her hands intuitively and demonstrated great communication skills: she will make an excellent reiki practitioner.
Then the student left and I did one more session. The recipient was a resident physician with an interest in reiki. I worked on her head and down the left side of her body. I noticed that her arm was cold, but her hand was burning hot: a natural healer. I felt tremendous warmth all through my body as I worked. Then I moved to her right side. I placed my hands on her right shoulder and started to channel the energy. I felt a crick in my shoulder, a pain really. I changed the angle of my arm. Still hurt. Moved my shoulder around. Hey, my right shoulder hurt and I was working on her right shoulder. Hmm. I started to feel chilled, then cold, really cold. I worked down her right side feeling so cold.
When I finished I asked, "Have you ever had issues with this shoulder?" I pointed to her right shoulder. "Oh yes," she replied, "lots of problems with it."
Then Kathi came in to do afternoon sessions. She had a cancellation, so I asked her if she'd give me some reiki. I got on the table and she started. The lightbulb in the lamp clicked off and it was pretty dark. We laughed and she kept working. A few minutes later there was a bright white flash over our heads. I saw it through my closed eyes, and gasped. We laughed again. As she was finishing the light came back on. Strange.
Kathi talked to me as she worked. She said my grandma was there with me, and is so proud of me. Kathi giggled, "She thinks of you as a little girl! She says, 'You are such a smart girl!' Uriel says, 'Don't forget!' What does that mean to you?"
Thinking of my grandma made me think of my dad and uncles. I remembered the funny stories they used to tell. I remembered laughing til I cried, I remembered how whole I felt with my family around me. Waves of grief washed over me and tears leaked into my ears. Kathi felt my sadness and cried too.
I saw Chujiro Hayashi, I think that's who was playing with the lights.
The picture above is me with my cousin Susan and my aunties. My sister Catherine is at the back. We're in a restaurant in South Glastonbury, Connecticut, celebrating Aunt Lois' 80th birthday. It was a couple of years ago.
I love my family and don't see them enough; we're spread out all over the country from Maine to California, Minnesota to Arizona. I've been thinking of going to Sacramento in May for a birthday party to see my family. Don't like to fly, but it would be worth it to see so many cousins and aunties. OK, gotta go check flights and tickets.
